Male Genital Piercing - Aftercare

There are lots of debates on genital
piercing nowadays. No matter how some people will look at some
point, genital piercing is getting popular every day. People are
constantly trying to find a way of self-expression, fun way to
decorate themselves etc. There are many types of male genital
piercing such as Ampallang, Apradravya, Dydoe, Foreskin Piercing,
Frenum, Guiche Piercing, Hafada/Scrotum Piercing and Prince Albert.

Aftercare:
Clean your piercing twice daily using a combination of saltwater
soaks and a mild soap. Over cleaning can be as bad as under
cleaning, as you run the risk of drying out the piercing. We
recommend that you get yourself into a routine, in the morning and
evening.

First, do a saltwater soak to help soften and remove dried discharge
and lymph secretion and to relieve itching. After soaking your
piercing, thoroughly remove the softened "crusties" with a clean
cotton bud - do not use your fingernails! Once this is completed,
you need to rinse the salt water off - the shower is the best place
to adequately rinse your piercing. Wash your hands with a mild
antibacterial soap. Carefully massage this into your piercing,
rotating very gently as you go, allow the lather to soak in for 1-2
minutes, then rinse your piercing thoroughly and well with water.
After showering, dry your piercing and jeweler with a clean, dry
cotton bud, paper towel, or gauze. Do not dry the piercing with bath
towels, as towels harbor bacteria and you may catch the jeweler on
the loops of the towel!

If the piercing is still spot bleeding, salt soaks are not necessary
until the piercing begins to heal and the spot bleeding diminishes.
NEVER use any alcohol based products to clean your piercing. For
example, alcohol swabs, hydrogen peroxide, betadine, dettol, 100%
oils etc. They are too strong for continual use & kill the healing
tissue, therefore slowing down the healing period and they may burn
the sensitive skin.

AVOID using any creams on the piercing as the
piercing cannot 'breathe', again, slowing down the healing period &
also leaving a sticky residue which can lead to problems.

AVOID swimming in public places for at least the first week,
swimming pools; watering holes & even the ocean here in the NT as it
is tropical water. Common sense prevails as to when you can go
swimming, if you are experiencing some problems with your new
piercing then do not subject it to anything which may make it worse.

Avoid wearing tight, restrictive clothing or lacey underwear.
Instead, wear comfortable, loose clothing and breathable, supportive
underwear (especially for the blokes!). The more air circulation
that gets to your fresh piercing, the better.

Ensure that bed linen is clean & changed on a regular basis, this
goes for all materials that can come into direct contact with a new
piercing.

AVOID sex in the first two or three weeks. After the healing process
use a condom in order to avoid any complications and infections
because no matter how it looks (healed or almost) the piercing holes
are still healing. Usually, it takes three weeks or a whole month
for the piercing to heal completely. So be careful.

This is to protect your piercing from infection, irritation, and
tearing, as the condom supports the jeweler as well as keeping it
clean. For all piercings, it's recommended to avoid other peoples
bodily fluids coming into contact with your healing piercing. If
your own sweat has come into contact with your piercing during
exercise, please rinse with bottled water to prevent aggravation
caused by the acidity in your perspiration.

DON'T change the first jewelry! This will ensure the piercing has
had enough time to strengthen & the 'channel' formed. If you take
the jeweler out of the piercing too soon then there is the risk that
the hole may close up or shrink quite considerably.

If you need to take the jeweler out for sport, work or medical
reasons then there are alternative pieces that can be used to help
keep the channel open & the shrinkage minimized. Drink plenty of
water, cut down on the caffeine and alcohol. Insufficient sleep,
drugs & alcohol consumption, bad diet; can all contribute to long,
slow & problematic healing periods. Stay healthy!

Salt water and chamomile soaks
Both of these soaks are great for healing piercings. Both require
hot water so it is not recommended to use on your fresh piercing
within the first week. The mild salt water soaks help to circulate
blood and help to 'drain out' any build up of lymph, dead tissue,
etc. Both help to reduce any swelling that may occur, reduce
irritation if the piercing has been accidentally knocked and/or
redness. Using demineralised (distilled) water is a better option,
but not essential.

Salt soak
Add a ¼ of a teaspoon of non-iodised sea salt to 250ml (1 standard
measuring cup) of freshly boiled water. Before applying to the skin,
allow to cool slightly and make sure the salt has dissolved
thoroughly. Depending on the placement of the piercing you can
either soak up some of the hot salt solution with a cotton pad and
apply it to the piercing, or submerge the entire piercing into the
salt solution. Whichever method you choose, allow the piercing to
soak for ten to fifteen minutes.

Chamomile soak
Use only 100% chamomile tea bags. Submerge the tea bag in freshly
boiled water and allow to steep for at least ten minutes, cool
slightly and apply the bag directly onto the piercing and leave on
for 10-15 minutes. You can still drink the tea! Chamomile has been
used for generations for its soothing and anti-inflammatory
properties, but it should be avoided if you have any allergies to
ragweed or flower pollen!

What To Expect?
Some soreness after the body piercing procedure can be expected.
Bleeding is quite normal, even spot bleeding in some areas for 24 to
48 hours afterwards can happen. "Deep genital" piercings on males
can bleed up to five days with erections and urination. This can be
alarming but is nothing to freak out about! If you have any
concerns, please contact us as soon as possible. The genitals are
obviously a highly vascular area, and some people will bleed more
than others. Avoiding blood thinning products such as: alcohol,
aspirin, caffeine and some medications will help.

You may experience some bruising and swelling around the site of the
piercing in the initial first few days or so, so please do not be
alarmed. This is not at all uncommon and can be easily treated by
using a cooler salt soak or applying crushed ice to the area in a
paper towel.

Redness around the piercing is quite normal and can last up to 10
days. If the piercing is constantly subjected to pressure from
clothing or accidental knocks or sleeping on it you can expect the
redness to remain for longer, as well as some tenderness.

During healing you may find the piercing may feel itchy, as it is
important not to touch or play with the piercing! You may find
wrapping some ice in some kitchen paper & holding it gently onto the
piercing will help to alleviate the itchiness.

Also during healing, you may notice your piercing secreting a liquid
which is whitish/yellow in color. This is normal & when it dries it
forms a crust on the piercing as well as on the jeweler, previously
referred to as the 'crusty' bits. This is just lymph, blood plasma,
and dead cells, and it means your piercing is healing as it should.